Someone with a 96 or 97........
 

How much engine oil does your car take when you change your oil? Do you have a standard filter or an oversized filter?

I thought the capacity was 6.3 quarts but my mechanic said it took almost 7 quarts. I have the larger oil filter and he said the oil was slightly above the full mark but that still surprised me. I didn't think the larger filter would hold THAT much more oil. I will check the level again later when I get home.

Re: Someone with a 96 or 97........
 

My long-known-and-trusted mechanic, who occasionally double-checks my facts (no doubt it's shop policy to confirm all customer-provided diagnoses and specs), has tried telling me my cars hold 7+ quarts of oil. Must be there's erroneous info at some mechanics' Web resource.

dcb

Re: Someone with a 96 or 97........
 

mine always take 7+ qts.

Re: Someone with a 96 or 97........
 

There's always some extra space for a little extra oil. 7 seems like a lot but half a quart over is not a big deal. I always end up putting 6 full quarts and most of another quart. I haven't paid attention to exactly how much though.

Re: Someone with a 96 or 97........
 

Hmmm, perhaps the capacity specifications were just flat out wrong.

Re: Someone with a 96 or 97........
 

Using the oversize Purolator 30165, my engine and filter take just under 7 qts. to bring the oil level on the dipstick exactly to the full mark.

When OT does my oil changes, he always puts in the full 7 qts. That brings the oil level just over the F mark on the dipstick. He said on our engines, he would rather the oil level be a little over than under.

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Re: Someone with a 96 or 97........
 

Tis true - valve cover gaskets being what they are and such...

Re: Someone with a 96 or 97........
 

I have a 92, but I always get charged for 7 quarts of oil every time I have the oil changed.

Re: Someone with a 96 or 97........
 

I end up using 7 quarts too. The engines are the same in 92 - 97 models.

Re: Someone with a 96 or 97........
 

I put in 6.5 on my first and only oil change so far, maybe i should use seven next time XD

Re: Someone with a 96 or 97........
 

I always put in about 6-3/4 quarts with the normal sized oil filter and it comes up full on the dipstick.

Re: Someone with a 96 or 97........
 

Just courous Ensteele! Do you have your own oil well. 7 qts X 14cars X 2x a year
That' a lot of OIL < LOL >:lol:

Re: Someone with a 96 or 97........
 

It takes a long time for the oil to drain down into the pan.
And the valve covers holds ALOT of oil. (Hence the oil leaking:rolleyes:)
And the Purolator L30165 is MUCH larger than the now tiny stock ones.
Seven quarts for the win!
Also while I am on the soap box, if you use fully synthetic oil, and change it half as often (6000 miles vs 3000 miles)not only is it better for our green planet, but your engine will be better protected AND you will save money!:D:cool:

Re: Someone with a 96 or 97........
 

Better for the planet? Yes. Save money? Depends on which non-synth and which synth you would use. Going from Walmart dino to Redline may not save money, for example. Too rich for my blood. But I can justify putting Redline in the tranny and diffs. The engine gets Mobil 1, for now.

Better protected is the big question. Higher quality oils have more of the good additives that prevent wear. But they don't usually have twice the TBN so they will be more depleted than dino oil run for half as long. But so long as the acidity doesn't get too high, it won't be a problem. Where the synth may really make the difference is in its ability to maintain good viscosity over a wide range of temperatures and conditions. I have been reading more about this subject lately. Engines with tight bearing clearances like oils with higher viscosity at high temperature and high stress conditions. This allows for the oil to maintain a protective film on the bearings. If the viscosity is too low, wear will occur due to lack of lubrication. Also, the oil will shear which will cause the viscosity to get even lower over time which will, in turn, make the issue worse resulting in a downward spiral. Oils are tested for this property and the parameter is called HTHS. So why not go for a beefy thick xW50 oil then? Because the oil would not flow as well at lower temperatures and especially if the passages are tight. It is very hard to say how thick is thick enough without being too thick but the Germans did draw a line in the sand at an HTHS of 3.5. They want it to be at least that high.

So I did some searching to see if I could find an oil with an HTHS of 3.5 but not too much higher which also had a high TBN so I know I can run longer oil change intervals, for the cost and green reasons. I also like the seal conditioning properties of high mileage oils and ester based oils. Finally, I need it to easily meet the cold temperature viscosity specification of a 5W oil for our cold winter mornings. This, as it turns out, is NOT an easy combination to get. Some folks at Nasioc like Rotella 5W40. The HTHS is 4 and is maybe a bit too thick. It also has very high magnesium. This has been known to leach some metals out of engine parts. My M1 5W30 high mileage oil is close to meeting all of the requirements but came just shy of the HTHS target of 3.5 with its 3.3 measurement.

I concluded that I could get my seal conditioners and my HTHS value if I blended M1 5W30 HM with a little M1 0W40. I would end up with a great cold weather oil with an HTHS of exactly 3.5. It would also have some of the good metals (moly and zinc) you want from additive packages but not an excessive amount of any of them (especially magnesium). For those who are curious, the magic ratio is 4 parts 5W30 HM and 3 parts M1 0W40. And the 0W40 has a higher TBN to help the oil, hopefully, easily reach a 6000 mile OCI.

If my car were to sit for long periods, I would lean toward Redline 5W30 ($$$) or M1 0W40 fortified with Lubegard motor oil protectant. Either of these choices provides materials (esters and/or moly) which are known to coat engine parts with a protective layer after the oil has drained away. They each have a slightly high HTHS of 3.8 but that is probably close enough to 3.5 to not be excessively thick. They both have nice high TBN values and will last well beyond 6000 miles in most cases. They both will do well in cold weather. They both will condition seals.

Re: Someone with a 96 or 97........
 

Since my car sits for long periods between starts (2 1/2 months last time), I use Mobil1 0W40 European Car Formula,fortified with Lubegard Biotech motor oil protectant. It provides materials (esters and/or moly) which are known to coat engine parts with a protective layer after the oil has drained away rom the parts.

They each have a slightly high HTHS of 3.8 but that is probably close enough to 3.5 to not be excessively thick. They both have nice high TBN values and will last well beyond 6000 miles in most cases. They both will do well in cold weather. They both will condition seals.

Even after moving the car after all that time, not one drop had dripped onto the floor.

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